In the words of Janet Jackson, circa 1986, “It’s the pleasure principle!” Yet, those of us working to advance the sexual and reproductive rights of adolescent girls often forget this and are reluctant to talk about pleasure.

Victorine (pictured, left) is from a small, farming village in northwest Cameroon. Few girls there go to school, and those who do are usually pulled out before they graduate and are married off before they turn 18. But Victorine has different plans for her future. She wants to be a lawyer. Victorine is…

IWHC will join with leaders of several major institutions engaged in responding to HIV and AIDS to put forth plans to curb the epidemic among girls and young women, who are disproportionately affected.

Despite the significant advances the world has made in reducing HIV, adolescent girls and young women, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, have been left behind. According to new data from UNAIDS, adolescent girls and young women account for one in five new infections globally. In some countries in southern and eastern Africa, HIV prevalence among girls…

Many governments refuse to provide comprehensive sexuality education to young people, leaving a void of information about sexual and reproductive health and rights. Local organizations like TICAH are working to fill that void.